Three-time world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali,
known for his lyrical charm and boasts as much as for his
powerful fists, has moved far beyond the boxing ring in both
influence and purpose. Ali won an Olympic gold medal and later
tossed it into a river because he was disgusted by racism in America
. As a young man he was recruited by Malcolm X to join
the Nation of Islam. He refused to serve in Vietnam--a
professional fighter willing to serve time in jail for his
pacifist ideals. He has contributed to countless, diverse
charities and causes. And his later years have found him
interested in world politics as he has battled
to keep Parkinson's disease at bay.